 You're watching FJTN, the Federal Judicial Television Network. Coming up on Court to Court. Most people see the federal government as the big, bad government. We're ought to get them. And we need to let them know that we're here to help them. We're here to provide as much information as we can to make this as easy for them as possible. The Constitution and Laws of the United States of America. This is Court to Court, your connection to what's happening in the federal courts around the country, providing information and ideas that will enhance your job and how the courts function. Now with today's program, Michael Burney. Welcome to Court to Court, the Federal Judicial Center's educational magazine program for all court employees. Today, we'll learn how two different courts make customer service successful for both customers and staff at the front desk and desk. Bob Fagan returns with more words to know and will experience how one court makes naturalization ceremonies very special. The courts have many clients. And while it's easy to give lip service to the concept of good customer service, it's harder to actually do it, especially for the folks who must deal directly with the public every day. The bankruptcy and district courts for the District of Idaho share a combined court executive's office which promotes a culture of service throughout the organization. We visited the Boise Division to see how the staff emphasizes customer service and why. It's important to the court for the good customer service from our intake staff because we are the ones in the public eye. You guys are, thank you very much. Should I tip it? You don't have to tip it all. You should have a nice day. We're the ones, I think, that carry over the image to the public for the most part. Most people see the federal government as the big bad government. We're ought to get them. And we need to let them know that we're here to help them and that we'll answer their questions, that we're friendly and we are here for them. We do work for them. Good. I got your message on your certificate of service. Well, I think the court as an institution really derives its ability to function and perform its constitutional task from the confidence which the public can use in its integrity, in its efficiency and in its fairness. And I think that all starts not just in the courtroom but really in the front counter. We're the first and we may be the only part of the federal courts that the public sees. They may never see a judge and we will be the federal court for the public that comes up and sees us. I think it's important that the entire court system have that same commitment to public service. It is important for our chambers to provide great customer service to the bar because we interact with the bar every day. And it's the right thing to do. I only got one litigation plan from the other side and it wasn't stipulated. The district and bankruptcy courts are combined in Idaho. Court executive Cam Burke says that the intake counter is in always the busiest place in the office. But we staff it to the maximum workload rather than the average workload so that we have a sufficient number of people there so that our customers don't have to wait a long time. Hi, how are you today? I think the hardest part about dealing with the public at the counter is being able to listen to their problems and listen to their stories and just finding out exactly what it is that they want while they're here Just trying to help them. Make them feel at ease because I know that they're nervous, confused at times when they come up here. Any questions? Thank you. I have 15 days to get all the schedule. Yes, ma'am. 15 days from today. You can't. Yes, ma'am. And this is your copy. Again, do not lose it. Okay. Hang on to that. Anybody have any questions or whatever, just have them give us a call. Docket Clerk Wendy Massuri says the hardest part of handling phone calls is answering questions to the caller's satisfaction. Sometimes I could give them the answer and they're not happy with it. They want more. Sometimes it's not what they wanted to hear. Okay. I found your objection. It's already been assigned to District Judge. Sometimes it takes a lot of time. Sometimes a 30-second question that should have been finished in 30 seconds can take several minutes. Okay. Just be sure that whenever you change your address or they move you from one institution to another, it's imperative that you let us know that you have a new address. She credits training, experience, and common sense for her success with callers. Just patience, understanding, you have to listen. You have to be sympathetic to the caller. Well, sometimes you get prisoners or other pro-save people who don't understand how the court works and they can get mad. And you just have to let them... It doesn't bother me that they're mad. It can just be difficult until they've said their piece. And then you can help them find out really what they want and help them. It's very important when someone's angry to let them tell you why they are upset. The most important thing is to listen to them. Okay, so he just forgot to hit the right box. Just as some court customers can be angry, others can be afraid, says jury administrator Joanne Cook. So when I start my orientation, I try to joke with them a little bit and make them feel at home and let them know that it can be a very positive experience and that our staff is there every moment of the time to help them out if they have any questions or problems. I just try to keep a smile on my face and make it easy going for them, especially for the pro-save people that come in here. They really don't know what's going on. You know, you make them feel comfortable coming to the court and you make them at ease and treat people with respect. Welcome to Ten Ways to Cool Off the Hot Customer. This workshop has six objectives. The court uses a variety of resources to train staff in the nuances of customer service. Training coordinator Susie Butler starts this workshop by asking staff to imagine they were customers. What were the things that you wanted when you went into that office? I would want somebody that would be able to calm my fears about what the process is or what I'm going to be going through. I think the best part about being here with the courts is that you can learn on the job. Mentoring is a big part of what we do here. I just try to explain it to the best of my ability and if I can't do it then they still don't understand me then I get one of my co-workers to help me out. I need to know if I also need to file a substitution of counsel. I wasn't really sure if... You're getting new counsel? Right. Or you're representing somebody? Yes, I'm not the... But we've delegated to them the ability to make decisions that every point the customer has a question. A copy goes to you and one copy goes to the financial department. I need two extra copies. I'll fold a copy for you this time. Thank you very much. Another relatively simple way to please attorneys are these mail slots which are assigned to firms that deal daily with both bankruptcy and district courts. And the runners come in each day and do their filing and pick up their attorney's mail so that they have it in a very timely manner. The attorneys like it because when a court order comes down today, they have it today. This also saves the court a great deal of money in postage and envelopes. The court uses its website to conduct surveys of both the public and the bar. A recent bar survey had a 25% return rate. They gave us good ratings, but they also let us know about a problem we were having in a couple courtrooms with the audio systems. We also had an accessibility issue in one courtroom and it let us identify that so we can start addressing those concerns. When they come in, they may think they're going to get average service. We want them to leave here with excellent service. U.S. courts, may I help you? Still ahead on Court to Court, we'll hear from the bankruptcy court in the Western District of Washington about dealing with the public. We'll brush up on Latin in the law and we'll see how one court makes naturalization ceremonies a memorable experience. In the bankruptcy court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle, Court Mark Hatcher says that cultivating good customer relationships works to the advantage of everyone. His staff extends itself to provide the best possible customer service, whether for the public, attorneys, or anyone who calls or walks up to the intake counter. Bankruptcy Court, how may I help you? Hi, the archives line, both of those lines, 1083 and 1114. That may be. Is there something I might be able to help you with? Judge Glover. Okay. Okay, so he wants to send an original motion. All right, so you're going to give the originals to him? Oh, she was very gracious with me. I had lots of questions and she answered them all. I thought I'd made empty errors. Every time I've been here, I've been treated very courteously, asking for the files or filing documents or whatever. I feel we have an obligation really to the institution that we treat people courteously that we appear professionally and that we provide them with accurate and timely information about court procedures. Hatcher also says that the court is at the upper end of the scale in the number of pro-say filers, 20 to 25%. That makes it especially important that court staff deal well with the public. Bankruptcy is a very administrative process. Many of the litigants will never appear in a bankruptcy courtroom. They'll never go before a bankruptcy judge. So, for many of those people, their impressions of the bankruptcy court is determined by their interaction with court personnel. I called last week and they said that there's a special form that you can request a trace of the letter or a trace of documentation. It was really good. It's better than dealing with a lot of other government type agencies. I'm really glad I called ahead of time and told them what I wanted so they could tell me what I needed to ask for. We need to provide the best service possible. A lot of these people are coming in because they've had bad luck. They've gotten down in their luck and had to resort to bankruptcy. We're here to provide as much information as we can to make this as easy for them as possible. I like to let them know this is not an everyday occurrence. People shouldn't have to know all of this information. That's why we're there, to be able to help them. In either event, you'll need to call the Federal Records Center in advance. Okay. They house the records for all these federal agencies. The most important thing is just to stop what you're doing and make eye contact and make the person feel comfortable and give them the service that they deserve. I'm going to step over to this computer and show you where you can find mailing labels in the CMECF system. Court Services Supervisor, Montez Curry, emphasizes that training is the key to making sure employees know how to do the job and are confident in dealing with customers. I always found it a little difficult to understand why the court system puts the lesser experienced people out on front lines. When I moved into this position as Court Services Supervisor, I made it one of my top priorities to make sure that everyone who works at the intake counter actually has the tools and the training to do the job. That's thorough training. It's cross-training and case management, cross-training and finance to make sure that they know how to answer all the questions they're going to get at the front counter. Job related training for the intake staff is done by their immediate supervisor. They also use FJC video programs. We make use of several of the FJC package programs, including is it legal advice which helps free people up to feel comfortable about what they can say at the front counter. During new employee orientation, one of the things that we will do is go through the video series called How Cases Move through the bankruptcy courts. And within this video series, there are a couple places where the folks at the front counter are in a real sticky situation and they handle it wonderfully. So we stop the tape and we talk about that. Training to handle phone inquiries is no less important, Curry says. When we're training a new employee, we don't put them on the phones right away. We team them up with an experienced operator and we do put the phone and speaker phones so that the trainee can hear the question and we make sure that the trainee is comfortable and is ready to take over the phones. We just don't throw them at the phones and abandon them. Okay, I'm sorry, were you saying D is in dog or G is in goat? I have a dusty clerk. I don't have... With the telephone answering, a lot of times, we engage in a little bit of idle chatter, information, how is the weather type thing. I think that makes things... It just gives your day a little more personal touch, gives you a little bit better feeling about contacting that agency. I think it's really important to give them the feel that they can call us and get their questions answered. I think the single most important thing that we do to make sure that our staff gives good customer service is we focus on the little things. One example is a suggestion box. Hatcher's office tries to learn from the not so good comments and celebrates the good ones. We'll go out one of the morning huddles for the court services team and we'll celebrate the fact that they provided good customer service and we'll try to reinforce that with everyone. We're getting more and more of these all the time and I want to know what your secret is to giving good customer service. The secret to giving good service is pretty simple. Don Price says... Basically, you just need to remember to treat people the way that you would want to be treated. Are you training with your whole office? I am the whole office. You are the whole office? Good for you. The hardest part is probably trying not to view the public as an interruption and then dealing also with people that want more advice in terms of legal advice than we can provide. So it's difficult to know the answer but not really be able to provide the legal advice that people need. There are times when they ask questions, legal questions, and we can't give them legal advice but we can sure give them a list of attorneys they can talk to. If we have a pro se debtor, a debtor call-in or potential debtor call-in needing an assistance, legal advice and they can't afford it, we do refer the customer to the debt clinic and the debt clinic will do an assessment. According to Curry, it's important for staff to feel a sense of investment and autonomy in their work. You need to listen to their ideas. You need to take action on their ideas. They need to have the freedom to make their own judgment calls and if you have a happy employee at the front counter, they're going to help the customer with a good attitude. They're going to feel good about themselves, good about their employer and their environment. Our supervisor specifically encourages to, as does the whole court, that we really go out of our way to provide excellent service and if that means giving something that's a little bit above and beyond, then we go ahead and do something just for customer service' sake. In that segment, training specialist Diana Rodenberg mentioned how she uses some of the center's packaged programs, including, is it legal advice? That program presents several guidelines for answering public inquiries, each illustrated by court examples. Another program to consider is Expert Customer Service. Participants learn a variety of skills in situation analysis, flexibility, persuasiveness and customer sensitivity and they develop plans for improvement. For more information about either program, call Phyllis Drum at 202-502-4134. The language of the courts takes many forms and covers myriad situations and possibilities, reflecting the range of human activity. Here with a couple of unrelated terms, is my colleague Bob Fagan. Today, our first term is pro-hagviche. That's right, Latin again. This expression is used in state courts and all federal courts, appellate, district and bankruptcy. You may also see or hear it as admission pro-hagviche. Pro-hagviche means for this occasion offer a particular purpose. It's most commonly used in reference to an attorney who normally has not been admitted to practice in a particular jurisdiction, but for a particular case, is admitted temporarily and can serve as a lawyer in the case. Requests for admission pro-hagviche and appointment to that status are fairly common. There is a time limit on an attorney's pro-hagviche status. It's only for the life of a particular case. After the case is concluded, that attorney does not have the authority to practice before the court again, unless, of course, another request is made. Both state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have rules governing pro-hagviche admission and practice. An attorney must request admission through a motion of the court. The attorney must be in good standing and admitted to practice in another court. A local feat of the court is often required. Even if an attorney is admitted pro-hagviche in many districts, he or she has to be associated with local counsel. Our other term today, rits of execution, commonly is used in bankruptcy courts, but is not limited to them. A writ of execution is a means to enforce the judgment or decree of a court. The phrase often is used with garnishment, so we'll consider both of them. A writ of execution is an order from a court after a final judgment has been entered in a case. In bankruptcy proceedings, the writ directs seizure of the debtor's property to satisfy a money judgment. That property could be money, vehicles, real estate, stock, and inventory. The attorney for the party seeking the writ makes the application. Because it seeks a court order, that party is referred to as the movement party, the party making the motion. You know property or goods that are part of a final judgment might exist in a jurisdiction other than the one where the judgment was rendered. But a writ of execution must be issued by a court in the district in which the property is located. So before a court can issue a writ on a judgment by another court, the so-called foreign judgment must be registered in the court where the property is located. Once granted, a writ of execution is given to a law enforcement officer. At the state level, it's given to a sheriff who serves the writ and sees that it's carried out. At the federal level, our friends and colleagues at the U.S. Marshals Service are given that responsibility. Here's an example of a writ of execution issued to a marshal noting the specific requirements. This writ is from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court from the Western District of Tennessee. And now for garnishment. In this case, it has nothing to do with garnishing a splendid-looking dish with that little extra something. Rather, garnishment is issued when an entity other than the debtor has personal property that belongs to the debtor and that may be used to satisfy a money judgment. Such entities are usually banks and employers, and the property is bank accounts and wages. Again, the attorney for the party seeking the writ, the movement party, requests the garnishment. Once granted, a sheriff or U.S. Marshal sees to it that payment is made directly from the debtor's employer to the bankruptcy trustee. A certain percentage of a person's net income may be deducted from his or her paycheck until the judgment is satisfied. Here's a look at a standard order for garnishment. In the case of bank accounts, the garnishment directs the bank to transfer money to the bankruptcy trustee. That's words to know for this time. I'll be back with more in a future Court to Court. Many courts around the country make special efforts during naturalization ceremonies to involve the community and display patriotism. There are perhaps as many ways to do this as there are ceremonies. We visited one in the District of North Dakota. The Fargo Division of the District of North Dakota usually has a naturalization ceremony in the spring and another in autumn. The day of the ceremony starts early for the new citizens and for immigration and naturalization service officer, Minnie Ewald. No, I don't need that, just your green card. Has anything changed since the interview? Ewald's final check includes collecting green cards from those who until today have been resident aliens. New citizens understand the freedoms and opportunities the United States has to offer to them. Many of them come from countries where they're not able to speak their mind or they are unable to better a situation in life. Has anything changed since the interview? Ewald then reviews the list with Chief Judge Rodney Webb pointing out family relationships and employment information, which he often uses during the ceremony. We try to do it in a way that's dramatic and put on a little show. The United States District Court for the District of North Dakota Southeastern Division is now in session. The Honorable Chief Judge Rodney S. Webb presiding. God save the United States and this honorable court. I got to be kicked out of it. It's fun, I look forward to it. The courtroom is always packed for this proceeding. This special session of the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota is convened on motion of the immigration and naturalization service for the express purpose of conferring citizenship. On 30 petitioners will soon be our own brothers and sisters. We celebrate. Judges don't have many things to do that are really enjoyable and I don't do adoptions. The state court judges do adoptions. I do naturalizations and I try to keep it light and hopefully people have fun doing it. I think a lot of people are surprised. Each new citizen is asked to stand when your name is called. Any of those in the audience who are here with these people stand, clap, yell and scream if you'd like. By taking the oath of allegiance, that is a legal and symbolic commitment to upholding the democratic principles. All applicants have been approved by a duly authorized officer of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and have been found eligible to be administered the oath of allegiance. By the court, Elena Vilensky from Ukraine. Elena is a nurse at Merrick Care, right? Fourth and fifth graders from two schools also attended. Inviting students is a long-standing practice that Judge Webb believes does two important things. Expose them to this citizenship demonstration and keep our ceremony light. Mona's a professor at Concordia. Got a lot of tuition money over there. And I think people get an impression about the judicial system that's important. Hopefully a good impression, but that the process is a thoughtful one, but a joyous one. Natalie Charles from Haiti. Father, mother, it's a great time. And one in which a high-ranking official will rejoice with them. It's not just an administrative thing that you sign a piece of paper. It is my privilege to administer the oath of allegiance to our new citizens. Will you please stand? Raise your right hand. And if you'll repeat your name, please. Hereby declare that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies. It's to be heavy stuff, doesn't it, folks? Foreign and domestic. And I take this obligation freely. And I take this obligation freely. And without any mental reservation. And without any mental reservation. Or purpose of evasion. Or purpose of evasion. So help me God. So help me God. Congratulations. I am the very first to welcome you to this country as new citizens. Welcome home. The day's featured speaker was Dean of the University of North Dakota's Law School, W. Jeremy Davis. He spoke of the rights and privileges of United States citizenship. Including the guarantees of its freedoms and the protections of its laws. He added that if they disagreed with any of the laws, they were free to voice their opposition. No one will punish you for expressing your opinion or exercising your right to try to change those laws. The court also invites local chapters of several national civic organizations to participate in the ceremony. People who aren't afraid to stand up and say, I'm a patriot. I like being a citizen. And you can like it too. And you can say it out loud. Any place in our country or world, I'm a citizen of the United States of America. That's good. And these folks are giving an example for the nation. United States of America. These words have special meaning today to the tragic events of September 11th, 2001. Especially the word United. This is what America is about today. All people in this country standing together united. In the past, these organizations bought token gifts for the new citizens. There were so many items that the judge commented. He says, you know, they should have some kind of a bag to bring these home. So the veterans of foreign wars came up with this idea of the tote bags and they have them embroidered. Other speakers reminded the new citizens of a common bond. We want you to remember that the United States and especially North Dakota and especially Cass County, most of our ancestors were also immigrants. A quartet from the North Dakota National Guard closed the ceremony. Judge Webb likes everyone to join in. Even after the official ceremony, Judge Webb enjoys making the day memorable. Very nice. It was, I felt proud, excited, happy. Well, first of all, it tells me that I belong. You know, it feels really good. It's a time of pride, very proud to be a citizen of the country with all the freedoms that gives to all its citizens. A very great day. Terrific for me. Canadians are my great too. The respect for liberty and for freedoms is different down here. The Constitution is a lot different. Even just the patriotic attitude towards the country is different here. What were your feelings today during the ceremony? Great. Why? Because I became a citizen. And what does that mean to you to become a citizen today? For me, freedom, a nice life, a nice future. That was wonderful, even. I'm really happy. I'm excited all this time. For me, it was exciting. I have more freedom, more opportunities, I'd say, actually. The school children aren't limited to being spectators at the day's events. Judge Webb fields their questions long after the ceremony ends. Why do people have to stand up for it? They don't. It's a courtesy and it's custom. And I've had cases where people would not stand up when I came in and that's their right. The court's efforts to make the ceremony meaningful are always rewarded. And I fulfilled my dream. Much more freedom. And Americans are open. So that's why I like it. I love it. It's my greatest feeling. I am so happy. I was going to cry. For you, why? Because I consider this country my new homeland and I want to be here forever. I felt really blessed to be given this citizenship. I'm really proud to be a United States citizen and to be part of this country that grants rights, equal rights to every citizen regardless of gender, race, religion. It's really great. That's all for today. This year we'll bring you court to court four times rather than three. We'll have new programs again in May, July and October. We're always interested in hearing from you about topics you want us to cover. And also hearing your evaluation of the program. Please contact us at the address on the screen. Click on court to court to select the evaluation form. There are two forms. One can be printed, filled out, and mailed or faxed to us. The other can be completed online. Both forms invite your ideas for future topics. Among the topics on the next program, we'll learn how several courts have made accommodations for staff with disabilities. And a moment in court history returns with a sedition trial for slander of our second president. On behalf of everyone at the Federal Judicial Center, thank you for joining us today.